4 November 2022 Reading time: 7 minutes

When I needed a crossover with some off-road chops in the Kuga class, I started looking around. I was considering a Ford Maverick (2001-2003) or even a first-generation Ford Explorer, but since one of my friends already spends way too much time and money on Explorers, I thought I’d go with the Maverick instead.

Knowing that Radu once owned a Maverick with the classic Duratec-HE engine gave me some confidence and a good place to start my search.

Not long after, I spotted one for sale in Brașov. The price was right, but the color... well, it was green. "Any color, as long as it’s blue," I told myself. What surprised me even more was that this 2005 Maverick was actually a Ford Escape Hybrid - something I hadn’t expected.